Dany Byrne

The largest flea market in southern Washington happens twice a year in Packwood, over the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. (The Labor Day Flea Market is the larger of the two events.)

Packwood, Washington, lies about mid-way between Mt Rainier and Mt Hood, so the scenery is spectacular. Whether you are travelling north or south, east or west, you'll end enjoying a scenic trip along Route 12, the only road into town. There are plenty of chances to admire the beauty of the rivers, lakes, and trees around Mt Rainier and the National Forest.

Aside from its location, the Packwood Flea market (which pretty much takes over the entire town) has some unique features. No one is quite sure when it started (sometime in the mid-seventies is a popular guess) and no one is officially in charge of it.

It is a sort of self-organizing, self-regulating group of antiquers, junkers, and food vendors who come back year after year. As you wander along the main street, you'll find plenty of orange traffic cones -- but no police directing traffic. People cross the road haphazardly whenever something catches their eye.

Despite heavy traffic, I never heard a honking horn or saw a person narrowly avoid death as they dodged traffic. The drivers were polite and good-natured as they slowed or stopped to accommodate the heedless pedestrians. There are no official parking lots. Local residents open their fields, the schools open their lots, and anyone with space puts out a sign. Of course, you will be charged to park -- but a very reasonable $5.00 a day is the typical price.

Sadly, not everything in Packwood is so cheap. Food prices are high. You'll find dozens of catering trucks serving everything from fry bread to funnel cakes to shave ice, along with the traditional curly fries, corn dogs and hamburgers. Just don't expect to drop less than $20.00 on fries, hot dog, and a drink! (And don't expect to eat it all, either -- the servings are truly immense.)

The booths themselves are about evenly split between the sorts of new clothing and handicrafts you might find at a street fair - like leather belts, vests, and wallets -- and swap meet treasures -- like old tools, rusty cans and tins, and auto parts. All the vendors I talked to were friendly and ready to strike a deal.

The booths meander along both sides of Route 12, through the heart of Packwood, for almost a mile. They also snake back behind buildings into yards and fields and open spaces. It will take days to see everything, if you are thorough.

In my opinion, the prices for collectibles tend to be close to retail. If you are buying for your own collection, you'll find some great bargains. If you are buying for resale -- be sure to do your research before you leave home. The cell phone reception is spotty (you are in the shadow of a massive volcano, after all) and you won't be able to rely on Terapeak to guide you as you sift through the piles of unusual and unexpected merchandise.

Decide early how much money you are willing to risk and what sort of margin will be acceptable. Can you triple your investment on that antique medicine bottle from the turn of the century or is the label too damaged to get more than a dollar or two over what the vendor is asking? Where will you ever find another portable phonograph from the 1920s? (In Packwood, the answer is probably "down the street a bit" - and the price might be better, too.)

Steel your heart and be prepared to walk away. The thrill of the hunt can turn sour quickly if you blow your budget in an hour and then discover that the junk you thought was golden is really pretty common after all.

You'll learn a lot about what people want and what they are willing to pay if you keep your eyes and ears open. There are thousands of shoppers dragging wagons and carts piled high with goodies. Don't be embarrassed to gawk. Collectors love to talk about their collecting. Be sure to listen to the patter of the vendors as they try to convince a reluctant collector to purchase just one more item. You can improve your item descriptions by copying these pros.

Save some money for the garage sales. Packwood residents take advantage of the influx of collectors to stage giant yard sales throughout the town and all along Route 12. In fact, you may find that the yard sales turn out to be more profitable than the flea market itself.

Beautiful weather, miles of junk, and Mt Rainier peeking over the treetops. Is there a better way to start the Labor Day weekend?

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